Gearing.



E. C. GBSGHE.

GBARING.

APPLIoATIoN FILED DB0. 19,1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

if @I 2l 17PM-muv EUGENE G. GESCHE, F SEGUIN, TEXAS.

GE ARING.

Application led December 18, 1908.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE C. GEsCnE, a l

citizen of the United States, residing at Se guin, in the county el'Guadalupe, State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gearing; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ol' the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention has reference to improvements in gearing, and itresides primarily in the production of an extremely simple and efiectivegear construction arranged `for attachment to the driving axle of acotton chopper or other machine, and comprising a loose outer memberformed with an annular seat and with an annular series ol' ratchet teethlocated adjacent the same, and a 'fast inner member designed to iit inthe seat and provided with a pair of oppositely disposed pawls, theinner member being held in place in said seat with its pawls engagedwith the ratchet teeth by means of a spring carried by the axle andarranged to bear against the outer member.

The invention further resides in the formai tion upon the outer gearmember el' a series of curved teeth which mesh with the teeth ol" a gearsecured to a shaft arranged for a slight lateral or sidewise swingingmovement with reference to the axle, the curving of the :first-mentionedseries of teeth permitting the two gears to remain in mesh with eachother during such movement.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated bythe same reference numerals throughout the several views, wherein-Figure 1 is a fragmental plan view showing the application of theinvention as a whole to a cotton chopper. Fig. 2 is a collective view ofthe members of the driving gear, said members being shown in rearelevation.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of the invention, it maybe stated that the same is designed primarily -l'or use in connectionwith a cotton chopping machine of the type shown and described in myprior application 'filed April 6, 1908, Serial Number 425,494, of whichapplication the present case is a division.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the front ordriving axle of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 468,196.

l the chopper, 2 the main driving gear carried thereby, and 3 thebeveled gear secured to the 'forward end oll an axially arranged shalt4, this last mentioned sha'l't being capable ol' a slight sidewiseswinging movement with reference to the axle. The devices l'or efleetingsuch movement, however, l'orm no part ol' the present invention, andhence are neither shown nor described in this application.

rlhe gear 2 comprises, as shown in Fig. 2, an annular outer member 5which is loosely mounted upon the axle, and an inner member 6 rigid uponthe axle. This inner member, which normally iits in an annular seat 7formed in the rear Vlace ol' the outer member, carries at diametricallyopposite points a pair of spring-pressed pawls 8 arranged to engage anannular series ol' ratchet teeth 9 with which the loose outer member isprovided, said outer member being vieldingly forced toward thestationary inner member by means ol' a coil spring 1() which embracesthe axle and is interposed between the outer member and a collar 1.1fast upon the axle. The provision of this spring will, therefore,efl'ect the normal disposition ol' the inner gear member' in the seat 7,and the resultant engagement of the pawls S with the ratchet teeth 9, inconsequence of which, the rotation of the axle will be transmitted tothe sha'l't 4 through the intermeshing ol' the teeth of the gear 3 withthe gear teeth 'l'ormed on the outer member 5 of the driving gear.

The shaft 4 which carries the gear 8 has its front end projectingbetween the spaced upper and lower horizontal members ol' a yoke 12pivoted to the axle, and is provided adjacent said gear, with a collar13. This oted the inner end ol an endwise movable red 14, said rodextending transversely across the right hand arm o'l' the yoke, andhaving secured to its outer end one end of a chain 15 whose other end is-fastened to the 'front end of a lever 16. The lever which is pivoted inclose proximity to its front end to an upright pin 17 set into the topmember oi' the yoke, has also connected to said end one end the rod 14and has its other end secured to the collar ear above rel'erred to, thespring holding the gear 3 normally engaged with the gear member 5. Aswill be understood, the connection el' the rod and chain with the leverand swinging shaft serves to permit collar is formed with an ear towhich is pivof a retractile coil spring 18 which embraces the gearcarried by the latter te be disengaged from the gear member in questionagainst the tension of said spring when the lever is moved in the properdirection, the retention of the lever in adjusted position beingeffected by means of a spring pressed dog 19 which is designed to engagea rack 2O carried by the upper yoke member.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the two members of thedriving gear are normally held in engagement with each other by thetension of the spring 10, and also that during the time that the gearmember 5 is engaged by the gear 3, the rotation of the axle will betransmitted to the shaft 4, thus operating the chopping mechanism (notshown) carried by said shaft. Furthermore, it will be obvious that theshifting or swinging movement of the shaft incidental to the steering ofthe machine will not result in the unmeshing of the gear and gearmember, since the curvature of the teeth of the latter permits Asaidgear and gear member to remain engaged irrespective of the angle of theshaft to the aXle.

What is claimed is l. The combination with a driving shaft and a yokecarried thereby and comprising spaced upper and lower horizontalmembers, of a driving gear carried by said shaftvand formed with aseries of curved teeth; a gear in mesh with the driving gear; and alaterallyshiftable shaft by which the second named gear is carried, saidshaft having its forward end projecting through the space between theyoke members, the curvature of the teeth of said driving gear permittingsaid gears to remain in mesh with each other during the shiftingmovement of the second named shaft.

2. The combination, with a driving shaft and a yoke carried thereby, ofa driving gear carried by said shaft; a gear in mesh with the drivinggear; a shaft by which 4the second named gear is carried, said shafthaving its forward end supported by the yoke; a lever pivoted to theyoke; and connections between said lever and the second named shaft,

i for moving the latter bodily sidewise to unmesh said gears.

3. The combination, with a driving shaft, and a yoke carried thereby andcomprising spaced upper and lower members, of a drive gear carried bythe shaft; a gear in mesh with the drive gear; a shaft by which thesecond named gear is carried, said shaft having its forward endprojecting through the space between the yoke members; a lever pivotedto one member of the yoke; and connections between said lever and thesecond named shaft, for moving the latter bodily sidewise, to unmeshsaid gears.

4. The combination with a driving shaft and a yoke carried thereby, of adriving gear carried by said shaft; a gear in mesh with the drivinggear; a shaft by which the second named gear is carried, said shafthaving its forward end supported by the yoke; a lever pivoted to saidyoke; and a rod disposed transversely of the yoke and connected at oneend with the second named shaft, and at the other end with the lever,for moving said second named shaft bodily sidewise, when said lever ismoved in one direction, to unmesh said gears.

5. The combination with a driving shaft, and a yoke carried thereby, ofa driving gear carried by said shaft; a gear in mesh with said drivinggear; a shaft by which the second named gear is carried, said shafthaving its forward end supported by the yoke; a rod `disposedtransversely of said yoke and connected at one end with the second namedshaft; a chain connected at one end with the other end of said rod; anda lever pivoted to said yoke and having the other end of said chainconnected thereto, for moving the second named shaft bodily sidewise, tounmesh said gears.

ln testimony whereof, I aHiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE C. GESCHE.

itnesses:

S. WooDALL, E J. WILLIAMSON

